Category: Transportation Law
Transportation Lawyers on the Move at MTA Convention
August 4, 2017 | Carole Clark IsaksonThe BGS Transportation Law Team – Jim Wills, Carole Clark Isakson, Nicole Wiebold and Jackie Campbell – again attended the annual Minnesota Trucking Association convention in northern Minnesota. The event featured golf and educational seminars, and the always enjoyable connections with clients and potential clients. Having been active in transportation law for more than 4 decades, Jim Wills is a great presence at the event and the subject of much attention! This year he was even more notable as a member of the Long Haul golf team. That team won 1st place in the Scramble Tournament with a 17 under par and also won the Yellow Ball contest. Todd Volkers of the Long Haul team also won longest drive and closest to the pin. This year’s event featured a fascinating keynote speech by American Trucking Association President and CEO Chris Spear. Did you know: 70{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} of the gross tonnage of freight in the US is moved by truck This tonnage represents 56{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} of all goods There are more than 7.3 million people working in the trucking industry HALF of the money paid in to the Highway Trust Fund is paid by trucking companies 82{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} of the cross border trade with Mexico is by truck 71{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} of the cross border trade with Canada is…
Read MoreHey Dad… about your car…
April 7, 2017 | Carole Clark IsaksonThe story I’m about to tell you is true. There I was, on a beautiful sunny day in 1983 driving through the Notre Dame student parking lot in my father’s beautiful sky blue 1969 Corvair convertible. What an understandably excellent mood I was in! And then…. Not. That great day was destroyed in an instant by a horrible crash and heavy scraping noise. I didn’t know what had happened, but I was fairly sure it wasn’t good, so I stopped the car, shut off the engine, and walked to the back (from whence the horrible noise had come). And there I saw it – the unexpected sight of the car engine ON THE GROUND!!! I had no plan in place for this sort of disaster, other than the “Call Dad” plan. And while it worked for me then in 1983, I currently recommend to clients that a somewhat broader and more detailed disaster recovery plan be developed. Does your business have one? I expect that as with many of my business clients, a customer or supplier has asked for you for a copy of your disaster recovery plan or your business continuity plan. The former is just what it says – how your business will cope with a disaster of various types. The…
Read MoreBGS Transportation Department Attends Regional Conference
January 31, 2017 | Carole Clark IsaksonJim Wills , Carole Clark Isakson and Nicole Wiebold recently attended the 2017 TLA (Transportation Lawyers Association) Chicago Regional Seminar. This seminar attracts lawyers from 35 states and several Canadian provinces, and included a presentation by the regional director of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The TLA is an active group of transportation attorneys, uniquely qualified to provide both education and networking. Transportation issues are generally not state specific, and having a good understanding of the federal regulatory scheme is critical. It also helps to know who to call in Texas in the case of an emergency! The TLA provides both. The seminar featured presentations from attorneys in the US, Canada and Mexico on cross boarder issues (primarily liability and choice of law concerns). A representative of the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) reported on implemented and upcoming changes to the rules applying to many motor carriers. As with every business, trucking companies can expect ever evolving technologies to present new advantages and burdens. Electronic logging devices on many trucks will be required effective December 18, 2017. These devices capture data on the driver’s driving, engine run times, vehicle movement, miles driven, and engine hours. Seminar attendees also learned about new rule-making on safety fitness determinations for motor carriers, changes in…
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